FAIRFIELD, CT – Monmouth University Baseball (13-5, 13-5 MAAC) dropped consecutive games for the first time all season, falling in a doubleheader Saturday at Fairfield University (18-0, 18-0 MAAC). The Stags took the opener 3-2 before winning the nightcap by an 8-2 count.
 
Dan Klepchick (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks South) was effective in the opener, tossing all six innings without allowing an earned run. Fairfield scored all three of their runs in the fourth, all of them unearned. An error opened the inning and the home team converted, scoring three times with three hits to take a 3-0 lead. In its final at bat, Monmouth threatened, putting the first two on after Johnny Zega (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) singled and James Harmstead (Manasquan, NJ/Manasquan) doubled before Phil Stahl (Levittown, PA/Holy Ghost Preparatory) singled the other way to score a pair, but MU could not get it even.
 
In Game Two, the Hawks grabbed the lead in the second when Alex Barker (Newark, DE/Caravel Academy) hit his team-leading fifth homer of the season, giving the Hawks a 2-0 lead. Fairfield tied it in the third and took the lead on Watson's RBI ground out in the fourth. The Stags added pairs of runs in the fifth and sixth, ultimately taking the nightcap 8-2.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"Klep threw the ball well today. Defensively we shot ourselves in the foot by giving a good team five or six outs in an inning. We look forward to bouncing back tomorrow." – Head Coach Dean Ehehalt  

-Monmouth dropped consecutive games for the first time all season.
-Alex Barker hit his team-best fifth home run of the season.
-Phil Stahl notched his third hit of the season in three at bats, driving in his first runs of the year.
-Stephen Aldrich made his season debut, tossing a scoreless inning in Game Two.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth outhit Fairfield 5-4 in the first game.
-Dan Klepchick took the opening game loss, throwing six innings with five K's and zero earned runs allowed.
-Sansone earned the win in the opener with seven innings and two runs allowed.
-Trey Dombroski took the loss in Game Two, allowing three earned runs in 4.2 frames.
-Noviello won the nightcap for the Stags with eight innings pitched and two runs given up.
 
UP NEXT
-The teams close out the series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at noon.